Naruto: Interlude
by Iwashi Tatami
Summary: Takes place during the time skip. The events that would spur calamity started sooner than believed. Akatsuki and Orochimaru are casting their shadows across the land, and four unwary Shinobi are caught in the crossfire.


Naruto: Makuai

(Naruto Interlude)

OC Fic. Takes place during the time skip, approximately one year after Naruto leaves the village. The events that would spur calamity started sooner than believed. Akatsuki and Orochimaru are casting their shadows across the land, and four unwary shinobi are caught in the crossfire. Follow the exploits of the young shinobi Kaneharu Nekki, Nara Shikano, Hyuuga Hidama, and Yuuhi Murasaki, as they take part in the events that will ultimately lead up to Naruto: Shippuden.

Hello everybody! I'd like to start off by saying that this is my first published fanfiction ever, and that more so, it revolves around the story of four original characters created by myself. I'd really appreciate if you'd give my story a try, and I hope that you can help me evolve this story to be something fantastic! Tell me if you like the characters, and I'd love to hear feedback (positive and negative) on them. Also, at the end of each chapter I'll be putting a detailed explanation of each technique used during the chapter as a fun little bonus ;) Well, here it goes. I present to you, Naruto Makuai!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor would I want to. That's way too much responsibility for my liking! The story and several techniques, as well as the characters Kaneharu Nekki, Nara Shikano, Hyuuga Hidama, and Murasaki belong to me. Otherwise, everything else is property of Masashi Kishimoto.

**Chapter 1: Exhibition**

"Where have you gone…" asked a lone young man as he glanced around for his target. He quickly calculated all of the likely angles for a possible attack, and immediately took a defensive stance. Perhaps he would strike from the tree five meters to his right? An underground strike was also a possibility. A few seconds passed, and the shinobi adjusted his blue-rimmed glasses. Suddenly, his eyes widened. "There you are!" he shouted, making an abrupt turn towards a nearby bush.

"**Doton: Funshutsu Doro No Jutsu!**" came a voice from said direction. A stream of dense mud rocketed towards the wary shinobi. He somersaulted to the right, narrowly avoiding the onslaught. The mud landed with a thud where he had stood moments ago. He was now ready to take the offensive.

"Nekki, you shouldn't have revealed yourself so quickly!" The shinobi quickly formed the Rat hand seal and focused his chakra. Thankfully, they were fighting within a forest clearing, which was an ideal spot for this technique. It was a clear summer day with hardly a cloud in the sky. His shadow darkened, and without warning, it extended into the bush where his opponent was hiding.

"Argh...!"

He smirked, "**Kagemane no Jutsu**, linked." He took several steps towards the bush, and as he had expected, another figure began to approach him in lockstep. It was a young man of about sixteen; he had spiky brown hair and emerald green eyes. His skin was pale, but not quite in a sickly way, and a scar was visible on his left cheek. He was adorned in a solid black trench coat, barring only the silver two-way zipper that went up its front. Lastly, tied around his forehead was a black headband bearing the swirling mark of Konohagakure. The plating looked somewhat worn, as though it had seen much abuse since it was first worn.

The shadow caster, on the other hand, was dressed more conventionally. He wore a gray t-shirt with identical symbols on the front and back; a blue circle with a line crossing it diagonally. The pants he wore were dark blue and made of nylon material. His dark hair was tied into a ponytail that hung just below his shoulders, and he had cunning black eyes that were embellished with sleek round glasses. Tied around his left arm was a band identical to his opponents, but its condition was a great deal more admirable.

"Damn, Shikano," the cloaked ninja started with a smirk. He found himself unable to move, completely at the mercy of the aforementioned shinobi's shadow. The two faced off with unwavering expressions. "You got me, it would seem." His expression seemed a tad too smug.

Shikano simply shook his head. "Nekki, did you really think you'd be able to escape me..." Suddenly, he whipped around and punched the cloaked ninja in the face, sending him crashing to the earth several feet away. "...without me noticing?" The figure that had previously been trapped in Shikano's shadow melted away into a puddle of mud, and Shikano's shadow retracted back to its natural form.

Nekki rubbed his cheek and frowned. "Damn, you knew it was my bunshin hiding in the bush?" Shikano grinned and walked over to Nekki's position.

"Of course," he replied in a cheerful tone. "After all, you'd never be so stupid as to reveal your position in that situation. I figured it had to be a diversion." He held an outstretched hand to the fallen shinobi. Nekki grabbed it with a quick "thanks" and was helped onto his feet. He began to dust off his coat, as Shikano continued to speak. "Looking at that quick spar, you'd never guess that you were the one just promoted, and I'm the one still at the Chuunin rank." He held an almost goading tone as he spoke.

Nekki grimaced once more, as he picked up several discarded kunai from his previous training session. "Shut up man, it's not like it's my fault the old lady thinks I'm Tokubetsu Jounin material! One nature manipulation is simple enough to master, two is a bit of a challenge, three is difficult, four is rare, but all five is practically unheard of!" He was fuming at this point, counting off on his fingers in an overdramatic manner.

Unexpectedly, Shikano cracked a slight grin. He'd suspected this would be his reaction, and he quickly spoke out, "Listen, you don't need to justify your promotion to me. You know I'm just screwing with you!" Nekki opened his mouth again, but Shikano continued, "So there's no need to keep justifying it to yourself, okay? You weren't fighting like you usually do, and I think it's because you feel guilty, or something. You know I'm right, and I think there's just no need to be." Without another word, Shikano started to walk away from the clearing on a path that led back to the village. Nekki quickly caught up with him and they walked in silence for several moments.

Nara Shikano had been Nekki's teammate since their Genin days, and the two were naturally quite close. Shikano had also elevated to Chuunin with Nekki, and was easily the smartest and most tactical member of the platoon. He was a member of the Nara Clan, one of Konoha's more reputed families. The clan was famous for their unique ability of shadow manipulation, and Shikano had inherited these skills in a big way, being able to use his shadow in ways even many members of his own clan couldn't even conceive. To put things bluntly, Shikano was a natural genius of the shinobi world. Nekki had always been sure that the Nara would excel far beyond him in little time. Never did he think that he would be a Tokubetsu Jounin while his friend remained a Chuunin.

Nekki sighed after thinking about Shikano's words. It still bothered him, but he managed to ignore it for the time being. "I guess you're right," he said. He cracked a smile towards his friend. "After all, something must have been bothering me for me to have lost like that!" Shikano glared at him, and Nekki prepared to get harmed in some way out of retaliation. However, Shikano merely patted him on the back and grinned. They continued on.

After several minutes, they were back in the main part of the village. Shikano adjusted his glasses and glanced at a clock perched on the wall of a nearby restaurant. "Alright, no time to goof around," he said. "It's eleven-o-clock right now, and our mission briefing is at noon. I doubt those two will remember, so we'd better fetch them." After thinking for a moment, he pointed up a nearby street. "You go get Hidama. I need to stop by my home to pick something up, and Murasaki's house is on the way."

Nekki nodded. "No problem." They both leapt in opposite directions towards their respective destinations. "I guess he's right," Nekki muttered to himself as he hopped across the rooftops. "My first mission as a Tokubetsu Jounin...It'll probably go just fine." Despite his words, a faint feeling of anxiousness tugged at his stomach.

--

The sky above the city let loose a fierce and constant rainfall. The village was unusually calm today, and any passerby would hardly notice that the place was in a state of civil war. Not that anyone not meant to be in the village could even get close to it. Perhaps the most interesting thing happening took place atop the tallest skyscraper in Amegakure, the Village Hidden in the Rain.

Three figures stood facing each other. One was a tall, auburn-haired man who possessed multiple piercings on his face, and his eyes had a strange ringed pattern. He wore a black cloak adorned with red clouds. At his right hand stood an attractive aqua-haired woman who was wearing an identical cloak. However, the most bizarre of the group was situated opposite of the duo. He had long, spiky, jet-black hair, and stood even taller than the other man. He wore a standard black full-body suit, and had plated armor on his arms and legs. A long katana was sheathed at his waste, as well as various other tools essential to one who led the life of a shinobi. Nevertheless, his most distinguishing feature was the swirling orange mask on his face that left only his right eye uncovered.

"Pein," boomed the masked man's voice. "I'm not going to mince words with you. It's time to take action..." He paced to the edge of the building, his back to his audience. He clenched a gloved hand and pointed back at the pierced man. "My intelligence tells me that the Gobi jinchuuriki is located somewhere in the Rock Country. You are to mobilize Zetsu as soon as possible to capture his assigned beast." The woman scowled and was about to speak, but Pein interrupted her.

He spoke, "Madara, you know as well as I do that the timing is inopportune. It's known that Orochimaru currently has a large presence in that area." Madara clenched his fist in irritation, but Pein persisted. "I wouldn't want any of our members to run into trouble with that man. I hate to admit it, but I highly doubt that anyone but myself, and Itachi perhaps, could handle-"

Without warning, Madara spun around to face the other man. His visible eye was now glowing a violent shade of crimson. He spoke in a calm, yet malevolent tone. "It's not just anyone we're sending, boy. Zetsu is going... and he'll be taking Tobi with him." Pein looked at him for a moment. It appeared that words lingered just behind his metal-laced lips, but he fought them back and simply nodded. "Good," Madara continued. "Make it happen." Without another word, the masked man took a step back and vanished into thin air.

"That man disgusts me," the woman said after she was sure said man was long gone. "How long are we going to take orders from him?"

Pein smirked and looked out at the village; what would soon belong to him; and spoke, "Patience, Konan. As of right now, his plans don't interfere with ours. He's still useful. But trust me, as soon as he's not, the Uchiha will face god's wrath." The rain began to fall harder, if that was even possible.

--

No matter how many times he approached the building, it always intimidated him. The Hyuuga manor was the largest clan complex in the village, and was home to one of the most powerful families in the entire Fire Country. Nekki approached the gate and found the electronic buzzer off to the right side. He pressed it and leaned against a nearby wall. A minute later, the gate opened, seemingly on its own. This was what scared him most of all. Apparently, the guards rarely had to approach the gate because of the Byakugan. Using the clan's unique kekkei genkai, they were able to view visitors from afar and allow them to enter at their own discretion. He stepped inside and was greeted with the somewhat familiar site of the Hyuuga clan. Various clansmen could be seen wandering around, taking care of...well, whatever it was they did.

He had a fairly good idea of where he would be. Located behind the complex were several sparring arenas, and it was more than likely that Hidama would be training there. In a rather awkward manner, Nekki made his way to the arenas, nodding and giving a light "hello" to anyone that passed. After traversing the massive Hyuuga grounds, his target finally came into view. On the arena closest to him, a girl appeared to be training with one of the clan elders. He vaguely recognized her as being the heiress to the clan, or so he recalled. However, past this field, two more people were facing off, and he instantly recognized them both.

One of them wore a tan flack jacket and the Konoha headband, and had his long black hair tied off at the end. His eyes were white as an eggshell and lacked visible pupils, a trait inherent in all members of the Hyuuga. He had a fairly confident look on his face, and was facing his opponent in the Juuken stance. This was Hyuuga Neji, the so-called prodigy of the clan and nephew of the Hyuuga leader, Hiashi.

Neji's opponent was in a similar stance, but had no such look of certainty. It was Hidama, Nekki's friend and teammate, and Neji's maternal cousin. His appearance was similar to Neji's, but his attire consisted of white robes used by many members of the clan. He too had long hair, but it hung loosely in no particular order. His headband was tied around his neck, exposing his forehead and the mark it bore; the Caged Bird Seal.

This emerald cross was given to all members of the Hyuuga branch family. In previous times, from what Nekki understood, the main family had used it as a method to control its subordinates with an iron fist. However, in recent years, tensions between the families had been eased to an extent, and the seal was rarely used. Nekki had figured Neji must have the seal too, but had never seen it himself, and had never thought to ask Hidama if his suspicion was correct.

Rather than alerting the duo to his presence, he figured he'd watch their sparring session from afar. It appeared as though they hadn't begun yet, and Nekki was interested to see how Hidama measured up to another Hyuuga. His suspicions were confirmed when the two Hyuugas' eyes bulged, a sign that the battle was about to commence. Veins popped around their eyes, and the two of them deepened their stances. 'Byakugan...' Nekki thought to himself, waiting for the two shinobi to clash.

"Your move," Neji called to his cousin. His confident expression did not fade in the least.

Hidama took a step forward. "Right!" he replied. Suddenly, he dashed towards his opponent with impressive agility. He brought his right arm back and lashed out at Neji with an open palm strike, but Neji skillfully blocked the onslaught and struck Hidama with an identical slap. While it was invisible to the naked eye, Nekki knew what was going on. The Byakugan made the chakra circulatory system visible to the user. Therefore, instead of striking their opponents physical body with powerful blows, the Hyuuga instead used a style of taijutsu that directly damaged their opponent's chakra.

Neji's attack hit, but Hidama didn't let up. He started rapidly throwing palm strikes out at the prodigy, his robes fluttering wildly as he did so. Neji appeared to be keeping up with Hidama, however, and as far as Nekki could tell, Neji wasn't allowing Hidama to land a solid hit on him. As Hidama's attacks were continuously blocked, his style of assault changed, and he attempted to disarm his cousin with a sweep kick. Much to Nekki's surprise, Neji did little to forestall the attack. He was swept off of his feet and launched into an aerial spiral. Nekki could feel a slightly erratic burst of energy emanate from his Hyuuga teammate. 'He's using that technique in a match like this?' Nekki thought to himself, frowning inwardly. He'd have to have a word with Hidama about that later. Meanwhile, the latter shinobi zipped after his spiraling cousin with newfound speed and prepared to hit him with a heavy punch. Neji scowled briefly, so much so that Nekki wasn't even sure his expression had changed at all.

"**Hakkeshou Kaiten**!" Neji cried, and his midair spin increased in velocity. A large spherical shield of chakra surrounded the prodigy, and Hidama's punch connected with it. The collision was massive, and Nekki could feel a large release of energy from the connecting attacks. Abruptly, the two broke and flew in opposite directions. Nekki watched as his teammate was promptly repelled in the opposite direction, his attack completely nullified. Neji landed gracefully on the ground, and his shield dispersed in a flash. Hidama landed with a thud several feet away, but did not appear to be particularly damaged. Hidama rose to his feet, and he was now the one smirking.

"It was a good idea to block that," he boasted as he rubbed dirt off of his face. Neji did not reply. Hidama quickly brought his hands into a cross seal. "But don't think I'm done yet!" His chakra focused, and he bellowed, "**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!**" A burst of white smoke was produced next to him, and as it cleared, a figure could be distinguished from within. It was an exact replica of Hidama. The two completely identical ninja resumed the Juuken stance, ready to take on Neji together.

"That technique," Neji muttered darkly, "was once the bane of my existence, a sign of my inferiority." His tone now accentuated. "But you're nothing like him, and I'm nothing like I was!" Neji too resumed his stance, Byakugan ablaze. The three figures faced off in utter silence. Tension filled the air, and it was unclear who would make the next move. A calm breeze shifted the dust beneath their feet. The earth itself seemed to cease its constant rotation.

"**Katon: Endan!**"

Out of the blue, a vicious stream of fire made contact with Hidama's copy, causing it to disperse into a cloud of smoke. Both Neji and Hidama's face held an air of shock.

"You know, your expressions look so similar right now, I'm not sure if I hit the bunshin or not!" The Hyuugas turned to face the source of the conflagration, only to be met with the sight of a beaming Nekki. "Sorry to interrupt, guys, but..." Neji grimaced as Hidama brought his hand to his mouth.

"Oh man, what time is it?" Hidama questioned frantically, completely ignoring the fact that his duel with his cousin had been aggressively interrupted. "You're not here to get me because I'm late, are you?" His Byakugan deactivated as he spoke, and he wiped some sweat from his cursed brow.

Nekki replied with a grin, "Not at all! In fact, I was just watching your little scrap there." His coat swayed lightly in the breeze as he continued. "You two are really something, you know? There's nothing quite like the Hyuuga technique."

Hidama grinned sheepishly. "Oh, you saw that, huh? I was pretty cool, wasn't I?" Neji grunted and smirked at his comment.

"Yeah, yeah, you guys were great!" Nekki responded. He turned to Neji and pointed back towards the village. "Unfortunately, I gotta bring this guy with me. Hokage-sama's briefing us on a mission shortly, so..." Neji merely shrugged and gave an uninterested wave of the hand.

"Of course," said the Hyuuga prodigy. "Business is business." Without another word, he pivoted and began walking back towards the main compound.

Nekki waved after him. "Alright, Neji-san! It was nice to see you." Neji gave another brief wave in acknowledgement. Nekki turned to teammate and placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's hard to believe you two are related." With that, he hopped off in the direction of the Hokage mansion.

Hidama paused for a moment. Suddenly, a light bulb went off in his head. "Hey!" he shouted after the cloaked ninja. "What do you mean by that? Huh, Kaneharu?" He dashed off the catch up with the other, who was chuckling to himself all the while.

--

**Well, what did you think? I'm aware that the first chapter is a bit short, but as the title says, it's an "exhibition" and is more-or-less just a prologue. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated, as once more I'll say that this is my first published fanfiction. I'm hoping that this will be something more special than your average OC fanfic, and I can assure you that many other characters from the series will make appearances, whether they are from the manga or the anime (That's right, you can expect some tasteful implementation of anime-only characters). I'd really like to know what I did right and what I did wrong so I can improve future chapters and ensure your optimal reading experience ;) Also, please inform me of any grammatical or spelling errors that I may have missed, and I'll be sure to correct them.**

**Next chapter, we'll be introduced to the fourth and final member of Nekki's platoon, Murasaki. In addition, the Hokage informs the team of a recent prison break and a rising criminal organization. Meanwhile, Akatsuki begins to mobilize, and what exactly is the villainous Orochimaru doing in the Rock Country?**

Next Chapter: Out of the Fire, and…

**Techniques Used This Chapter:**

**Name: **Doton: Funshutsu Doro No Jutsu, "Earth Release: Mud Spitting Technique" **Type: **C-rank, Ninjutsu, offensive, Short to mid-range (0-10m) **Users:** Kaneharu Nekki **Description:** A technique utilizing the Earth Element. After performing the necessary hand seals, the user expels a jet of thick mud to attack the enemy with. It is mainly used to slow the enemy down, but can cause excessive damage if the technique is executed with enough force

**Name:** Kagemane no Jutsu, "Shadow Imitation Technique" **Type:** No Rank, Supplementary, mid range (0-10m) **Users:** Nara Shikano **Description:** After forming the needed hand seals, the user is able to manipulate their shadow along any surface. By using other nearby shadows they can further extend the reach of their shadow; however they are limited to the surface area of the original cast shadow. Once the user's shadow reaches the target shadow, it will attach itself. While attached, the target will be frozen, only able to replicate in mirror form the actions of the clan member.

**Name:** Tsuchi Bunshin no Jutsu, "Earth Clone Technique" **Type:** C-rank, Ninjutsu, Supplementary **Users:** Kaneharu Nekki **Description:** The user creates one or more identical clones of himself made out of mud and rock. The clones are capable of performing jutsu on their own, although use of lightning techniques will cause them to disperse. If the clones are injured enough, they will revert back to normal mud. Any experience the clones gain during their existence is transferred to the user once they are dispersed.

**Name:** Byakugan, "White Eye" **Type:** Kekkei Genkai, Doujutsu, Supplementary **Users:** Hyuuga Hidama, Hyuuga Neji **Description:** The Byakugan is a genetic trait that is shared amongst the members of the proud Hyuga Clan. After awakening the Byakugan, which is denoted by veins along the user's temples surfacing to just under the skin, the Byakugan allows for the user to see with near 360º vision, meaning that they can literally see everything around them, except for one blind spot above the spine and under the head which differs from user to user. They also have the ability to see through solid objects, and can use a degree of telescopic sight.

**Name:** Juuken Ryuu, "Gentle Fist Style" **Type:** Taijutsu **Users:** Hyuuga Hidama, Hyuuga Neji **Description:** A fighting technique unique to the Hyuuga Clan, the user can use their fingers or palms to emit chakra to flow into their opponent's bodies at the 361 chakra pressure points, or "tenketsu." When the hand draws close enough to strike, the clan member can stop or increase their opponent's chakra flow. The internal chakra coils which spread throughout the body also wrap around the internal chakra producing organs. So if the internal coils are attacked, it also damages these internal organs.

**Name:** Hakkeshou Kaiten, "Eight Trigrams Palms Heavenly Spin" **Type:** Taijutsu, Defensive, close range (0-5m) **Users:** Hyuuga Neji **Description:** A technique unique to the Hyuuga Clan. If an attack is near, the user will release a large of amount of chakra from their tenketsu. The member then begins to spin like a top, creating a whirling vortex that can nullify almost any attack.

**Name:** Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, "Shadow Clone Technique" **Type:** B-rank, Supplementary **Users:** Hyuuga Hidama **Description:** This jutsu creates one or more solid clones of the user. The clones are capable of performing jutsu on their own and can even bleed, but will usually disperse after one or two solid blows. Unlike other clones, they can't be detected by the Byakugan because the clones have the exact same amount of chakra and aren't made from any other substance, making them indistinguishable from the actual person. Any experience the clones gain during their existence is transferred to the user once they are dispersed. Creating too many clones is dangerous, as the technique will cause the user's chakra to diminish.

**Name:** Katon: Endan, "Fire Release: Fire Blast" **Type:** C-rank, Offensive, Short to long-range (0-10+m) **Users:** Kaneharu Nekki **Decription:** A technique utilizing the Fire Element. This jutsu allows the user to emit a jet of fire from his mouth similar to a flamethrower in order to damage the enemy.


End file.
